week 5

Week 5

Assignment 1:

I followed Earlyword and Stop You’re Killing Me in week 1.

Earlyword: I learn something new every time I check this fantastic site. Most often, I take note of new books on the publishing horizon that are garnering review buzz and holds in other library systems.  Recently, these were The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, Jeannette Walls’ new fiction title, The Silver Star, and a throng of hot romance reads in the 50 Shades arena. I also count on Earlyword to point out the book-to-film connections; it’s the first place I’ll hear that a book has had the movie rights purchased, or a certain actor is slated to play a particular character. Hollywood shows no signs of slowing down on nabbing novels—books are where it’s at!—so knowing in advance what customers will be looking for is a big help (or maybe even scooping the customer and being able to tell them about the next big blockbuster).

Stop You’re Killing Me: I have not been checking this site as often as I should. I did use it to help identify some new authors for a mystery customer who loves any and all UK mysteries. She had followed—and completed—several series, and was looking for new authors writing from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, GB, you name it. The location index, as well as monthly updated characters, made it easy to throw out a few authors she hadn’t heard of yet.

Assignment 2:

Parkville has a pretty hefty readership in the mainstream stuff- James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Stuart Woods, and whatever hits the bestseller list. We also have a considerable Christian fiction following- Melody Carlson, Lori Copeland, etc.- along with fans of Amish fiction. Romance readers, too, we have them. There’s also a much bigger SF population than I would have guessed before working here. All that being said, those are the customer trends that jump to mind because the customers ask for assistance; there are many other voracious readers who never ask for help. Our audiobook listeners and graphic novel fans seem to find what they want, checkout, and leave, for the most part.

I’ve already written about Earlyword, and yes, it is awesome. I like that there are links to just about any collection of books you’d need—indie next picks, bestsellers, grouped by genre, best books of 2012, award winners, etc. All in one spot. Also, it’s fun to see what Nancy Pearl is up to when she posts new content. I made Earlyword a shortcut on our internet windows at our information desks to encourage staff to check this resource frequently. I appreciate the heads-up on TV appearances, which helps to jog my memory when a customer wants that book that was on the Today show this morning, but can’t put her finger on the title.

Assignment 3:

I tried to select a title that hadn’t been released yet, and went with:

Fast-paced, absurd stories with quirky characters, Don’t Kiss Me promises to entertain short story lovers as well as those interested in a new reading experience. Fans of Lorrie Moore or George Saunders might enjoy.